


Breaking Waves

by SentientSucculents



Series: Ereri Merfics - Oceans Away [2]
Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe - Merpeople, Dominant Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin), Eren Is a Little Shit, Erwin Smith - Freeform, Everyone Is Gay, Fluff, Human Eren, Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin) is a Softie, Levi Is Bad At Feelings, Levi is smitten, Levi-centric (Shingeki no Kyojin), Levi/Eren Yeager-centric, M/M, Mer!Levi, Mermaid Erwin, Oh My God, Sassy, Scent Marking, Scenting, Yaoi, ereri, mermaid levi, merman levi, riren - Freeform, shingeki no kyojin - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-12
Updated: 2017-05-12
Packaged: 2018-10-30 23:32:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,184
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10887189
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SentientSucculents/pseuds/SentientSucculents
Summary: Levi has lived under the water all his life, with a pale body and an eight foot tail. He first meets Eren - and life as he knows it is flipped upside down.AKA Levi is absolutely smitten and travels miles every year to see this boy, learns a new language just to say hello to this strange creature with legs, and learns the meaning of the word 'sassy'.Crappy intro, I know, - this is the second instalment to my Ereri Merfic series. Things will make a little more sense if you read the first instalment, but it's not a huge difference. When exams are over and my brain recovers, I promise I'll write a proper summary for this fic :)





	Breaking Waves

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Corporal_Levi_cleans_my_house](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Corporal_Levi_cleans_my_house/gifts).



> Oceans Away from Levi’s point of view.  
> Some things may be a little easier to understand if you have read the first instalment of this series, Oceans Away, but it's not required.
> 
> Works of mine have been stolen before, and it pains me to have to say this disclaimer at the start of things. That not okay, guys.  
> This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system, without written permission from the author.  
> \- SammActuallyHatesYou 2017

A quiet chittering echoed, the small sound filling up the otherwise silent cave almost pathetically. She didn’t want him to leave, not while she was like this. Grey belly ready to burst with pups, swollen and sore. Isabel was only ever this desperate for company when Farlan was away – which, of course, very rarely happened. Levi hauled himself out of the water, clawed hands scrabbling for purchase on the slick rock until he could sit comfortably beside the redhead. He nuzzled anywhere he could reach – her red hair, her pale cheeks, her flushed shoulders, but carefully avoided her aching scent glands. They were only for her mate, Farlan, but her brother was free to comfort her.

Promises of _I’ll be back soon_ and _you know that I will be careful_ were thrown back and forth in croons and growls, the occasional huff of air through a slim, pointed nose conveying Levi’s barely concealed impatience. It took a few more moments before the raven’s pregnant sister finally seemed satisfied, letting him slide free of the rock with one last press of lips to his forehead.

Levi twisted his body as he fell back in the water with a too-loud splash, instantly sinking underneath the clear liquid as he righted himself. Erwin was waiting impatiently outside, he knew, but they were already far behind the pod that had left the warm waters without them. Levi hated this time of year – the Darkwater mers to find food, and the Brightwater mers to find mates. The two often corresponded, creating strange mixed-breed pups such as Isabel; the lethal physique and assets of a Darkwater mer but the vibrant colours and personality so often found in the blood of those who lived among the corals.

Levi didn’t look back as he fled from the cave in which Isabel had made herself safe, knowing that if he did so then he would only be more compelled to go back and comfort the distressed mermaid. He made a swift retreat through one of the many entry tunnels, carefully twisting his body around and over jagged stones to avoid injuring himself. Eventually he burst out of the dark tunnel into light, clear water, causing him to hiss and squint. The crystal-clear water was a stark difference to his own home, deep beneath the ocean’s surface and far out of reach to the Brightwater mers. It was far too dangerous for them anyway, which was partly why Levi resided there.

A blonde monstrosity of a merman scrambled out of the way when Levi nearly barrelled into him, letting out a hiss of annoyance that only served to stir the raven further. Erwin saw the flash of claws before they could hit him and twisted out of their reach, maintaining the passive look on his face while Levi sneered. The raven shot him a contemptuous look and the two reverted back to acting like the other didn’t exist – they were good at that. Levi knew leaving Isabel had put him in a bad mood and he also knew that Erwin didn’t deserve to have it taken out on him – most of the time, at least – but that didn’t stop him. They’d known each other since puphood and nothing would change the strange bond.

There was no conversation as the two of them fled from the cave, skirting around the abundance of corals in the large reef that held a pod of Brightwaters. Neither of the two mermen were looking for mates themselves – Erwin because he believed he would find his anyway, and Levi because he didn’t want a mate at all despite what his instincts screamed. Instead, they served the pod they were travelling with as hunters. Darkwater mers were generally solitary creatures, only coming together to fight, mate or claim. They were naturally aggressive, lethal-looking animals with no concept of family until breeding season, when those in the vicinity set out in a group to find mates and give birth. It was only then that the pale creatures ventured from the depths and felt any inkling of maternity and family, protecting the young, the pregnant and the vulnerable to conserve their species. Two more months after that was spent teaching the pups how to hunt for themselves, their play-fighting only preparation for the rest of their lives; instinct would do the rest.

It didn’t take long at all for the two mers to reach the pod they were with, despite spending almost an hour at the cave with Isabel. Erwin was lethargic as he rested but Levi was only mildly out of breath, gills flaring as he stretched.  The raven was unmatched in anything he did – bred from the finest bloodlines, built for speed and battle and efficiency. His stamina endless, his speed initiated with the barest twitch of muscle, his displays terrifying and beautiful – the epitome of deadly.

Levi shot off again moments later, having heard the distinctive whine of a young mer. He returned not long afterwards, approaching the mother silently with a tropical fish in each hand, already gutted and prepared. The mother startled when he appeared beside her with a soft whistle, but her fins relaxed back against her body when he presented them to her with another low whistle. His tail curled as he moved away, the long entrails of his fins flaring with his slow retreat before they flattened and he turned in a split second to return to Erwin. Even from his position he could hear the excited yelp from the young Brightwater mer, and the giant blond regarded him with a teasing lilt in his croon. Levi let himself drift until he hit the sand, taking a moment to rest as he curled around himself, long tail flexing to accommodate. The dark appendage was twice as long as his torso, littered with glistening navy scales broken only occasionally with a patch of silver. Spines that were currently lying flat against his spine along his tail would flare up if threatened, turning a bright crimson when blood filled the membranes between them in a warning display as well as the fins lining his body stretching out, lined with thick veins that stood out brightly against the grey skin.

Levi yawned, mouth stretching wide and tongue curling between the sets of curved, lethal teeth. Erwin settled down on his stomach beside him gently, wary of getting sand through his gills. Long fingers came up to toy with Levi’s inky hair, and the raven jerked his head away with a disgruntled snort. Erwin whistled in sheepish reprimand and Levi rolled his mercury eyes as he closed his eyes to sleep. His pointed, fin-like ears flickered forwards to catch the sounds from the pod nearby them, groaning quietly as he recognised that the pod would be staying here for a few days. Erwin rolled over beside him, sneezing when he stirred up the white sand underneath his body; Levi merely turned around, facing away from the big brute.

His headache lessened now that his eyes were closed, two sets of eyelids and a pair of arms shielding him from the bright sunlight. Unused to such vibrancy and accustomed to darkness, the silver orbs were strained and causing his head to throb.

He knew Erwin was close by and active as he warbled softly, the subtle scent filling his nose as he warned that he was going to sleep with a string of clicks – his body needed the rest, and he knew Erwin would wake him if there was trouble.

 

* * *

 

 

Levi ignored the way Erwin glared at him weakly as he began to swim away, unfurling his tail and stretching out as he woke his muscles up. He was aching all over from sleeping too long, unmoving and well-rested but now he was beginning to regret it; the urge to explore made his skin itch persistently and despite Erwin’s disagreement, he was leaving anyway. To hunt for himself, to find out exactly where they were and to acquaint himself with the area; this would become their rest stop for the next few years and he needed to know where everything was to hunt efficiently.

He left the freshwater merman behind as he rolled over and pushed his body away from the sand, moving smoothly through the water and not really knowing exactly where he was going. His first set of eyelids moved too often for his liking, despite being protection against the harsh light and salt. Everything here was vibrant, from the food source to the sand; bright hues of golds, reds, blues, silvers, greens, and rarely broken by the flash of black on the occasional fish. His presence didn’t go unnoticed and schools of fish often missed him before darting away in a panic, spreading in all directions like droplets of water from a splash before regrouping elsewhere. Levi took no notice of them, however, and only stopped to hunt twice. Finding his way through the reef turned out to be more of a difficult task than expected, often recoiling in surprise when he stumbled across creatures that were too ornate or bright to not be poisonous.

The reef began to falter, with corals and kelp becoming more and more sparse and giving way to the near-white sand the further he went. Occasionally he rose to the surface, with only his eyes peering out above the strangely warm water to see what was around him – he wasn’t surprised to find land too far away. After seeing it, however, he became unconsciously wary, constantly searching for signs of human life.  

 

Levi couldn’t help himself when he caught the first inkling of a strange scent, unfamiliar and sharp. It was still far off, and he could only find it above water; that only served to confuse him all the more. His tail barely moved an inch and he moved forwards, ducking beneath the water and straying from the edge of the darker water. As far as he could tell, the water here was far clearer than his own territory and he was careful so stay in the little shadow that he could find, fins occasionally brushing the oyster-infested rock wall. It was only small, but provided enough cover for him to creep closer. With a soft hiss he startled, tail slapping the water when his hand brushed the sand unexpectedly. The scent he’d discovered spiked in alarm before he ducked back into the shadows, unseen but cautious. The smell disappeared instantly.

 

Levi was far more careful from there, sliding so close along the sand that the grains scratched and rolled under his torso as he crept closer along the ledge. Through the shifting water he could see a strange creature perched on the rocks not fair from where Levi was crouched. Slowly Levi allowed himself to rise, seeing that as of now, whatever it was posed no sort of threat to the merman. His nostrils flared as they breached the surface of the salt water and his eyes narrowed curiously.

 

The beast seemed similar to the tropical mers, in some way; with the same pretty skin, only - Levi was startled to see no tail protruding from the thing’s waist, with two legs in it’s place. Gods below, it was a human, wasn’t it? Brown hair lightened from the sun, it’s - it seemed somewhat masculine, but Levi knew better than to assume ( he had seen Erwin get a few harsh reprimands for making that mistake) - skin was a wonderful golden-brown shade, and when the creature opened its eyes, Levi’s gills stilled.

 

He didn’t think he’d seen anything more exquisite in all of his underwater life.

 

Despite its beauty, Levi froze in apprehension when the human made a strange sound of shock, scrambling backwards. Levi automatically bared his teeth, ears flattened against his skull as the man stared at him with impossibly wide eyes made of pure viridian green, shiny and filled with fear. The same sharp scent hit him and he resisted the urge to recoil, as it was tainted with terror and confusion, and different to any mer that he’d ever had the misfortune to come across… But he couldn't say that he disliked it. Different, but fresh, clear, unfamiliar but warm.

 

Levi watched curiously as its mouth moved, throat moving and swallowing around something Levi hadn’t seem him eat. A odd, slightly strangled sound stumbled from it’s mouth and Levi let his ears flicker forward, trying to decipher it. Was the human sick? What language did it speak? Certainly not one that Levi had ever heard. Was it trying to communicate?

 

Levi let himself scowl. He hated confusion, but the curiosity was beginning to become too much. Using his arms, he dug his claws into the sand and began to slowly creep forwards. He was somewhat pleased that the human didn’t move away, and eventually he rose further out of the water, shoulders occasionally breaking the gentle surface. He jerked his head back and bared his teeth as he hissed again, watching the brunet human still his movements instantly; so it was smarter than it looked. The two of them locked gazes and Levi felt his sneer fade into a frown, and noticed how the sharp scent began to be replaced with something sweeter - curiosity; the fear was beginning to fade, probably because Levi had made no move to hurt it.

 

Levi chittered in confusion and annoyance when the unfamiliar creature ‘spoke’ again, the same sounds in a softer, less nervous tone. He still couldn’t make out a familiar sound, one that he could recognise and return.

 

Eventually Lev gave up with trying to communicate, running into the same language barrier again and again until he gave an annoyed huff and shut up entirely. Th ebrunet seemed to get the hint and pressed his mouth shut, but the pretty pink lips fell back open when Levi moved his body further into the shallow water towards it and dipped his head in the only non-verbal way he knew to greet it. By now he was sure it was male, as it showed no female characteristics, from its behavior to its body.

 

Levi wasn’t sure how long he stayed there, exploring the area but never moving far, and the creature seemed to do the same. He paused nearby the same place he had arrived to, watching the other being with curious grey eyes.

 

“I have to leave.” Levi didn’t understand why the tone much, and the sounds made no sense to him; but he could clearly see the way its shoulders slumped and its expression twisted into something sheepish to be able to know it wasn’t something good. Levi tilted his head, hoping to convey his confusion. It began to stand and Levi realized it was going to leave - unwarranted panic began to flood his chest and he flinched, a strained yip bubbling from his throat, he shuffled around in the sand, tail curling as he spun in a circle fretfully. The creature couldn’t _leave_ , the raven had learned practically nothing and he didn’t understand why he was suddenly so worried.

 

 _Don’t leave, don’t you dare, you cannot leave yet!_ Levi burst out, a series of barks and croons leaving his throat desperately He watched with pained eyes as the human’s eyebrows furrowed. Levi’s eyes turned frantically to the sand around him, searching fruitlessly for a gift of some sort; the creature had enough sense to stand still and Levi dove back under the water. He only made it a few meters before he popped back up and almost growled. The human was moving away again. _Stop!_

 

There, that did the job. Bright Eyes sat back down uneasily and Levi left again.

 

He searched frantically, trying to find something worth a courting gift in such a small amount of time, on such short notice. He almost hissed in relief when his hand closed around a shell. Multiple colours swirled over the mother-of-pearl surface, beautiful shades of cerulean and mercury, lilac, viridian and azure coating the inside.

 

His tail stirred up a cloud of sand as he spurred forwards, desperate to make it back to the cove before his new interest left. He was unexplainably pleased when he saw the shadow still seated at the rocks, speeding up in his journey back. He barely had time to think before he was out of the water, arching over the rock edge and towards the suddenly terrified creature, who scrambled out of his way. The look on his human’s face made him want to laugh but he’d obviously misjudged how low the rock was and almost ended up on top of it, had the creature not moved fast enough. Levi landed with a grunt and flung his arm out.

 

He was met with silence.

 

A roll of mercury eyes and a quiet huff seemed to get his message across somewhat and the brunet sat up, cautious and wary as he should be – it took a short bark of annoyance from Levi for the human to move, and then lithe fingers slowly curled around the shell and lifted it away from Levi’s grey-skinned palm.

 

Levi squirmed and wriggled his way back off the rock, twisting his body so he wouldn’t hurt himself as he fell back into the water. He dipped his head again and still struggled to decipher the unfamiliar sounds. A few moments passed and Levi broke away, turned on his tail and began to swim away, slow and unwilling.

 

 

Levi’s mouth was set in a thin line and Erwin stared curiously at him as he joined the pod, but the raven was thankful that his massive friend didn’t try to make conversation or ask why Levi’s scent gave him away as somewhat crestfallen. The blond merely creased his brow with worry, keeping his distance but circling the smaller mer all the same.

 

Levi never did end up explaining himself; he didn’t feel the need, not to mention he would probably only end up in an argument with the other Darkwater. It wasn’t worth it – or at least, that’s what he told himself.

 

* * *

 

 

The pod moved on after that, completing the cycle and allowing Levi to return to Isabel. Two moons had passed since then and it was halfway through another, so the grey-skinned creature wasn’t at all surprised to see a small bundle of blond hair and maroon scales curling around and around Isabel’s tail.

 

Levi watched from the entrance of the cave as the tiny creature swam in circles around the fluke of Isabel’s pink-tainted tail, seemingly entertained by the littlest things. Levi couldn’t comprehend how she could put up with the imbecilic little thing.

 

A low croon rumbled in his throat, calling to his younger sister to warn her. Isabel’s eyes flickered towards the cave entrance and reached into the water, gently picking up the small pup and sliding into the water protectively.

 

The pup whined, attempting to voice is discontent at not being able to play, but the sound was cut off abruptly as Levi’s head rose above the surface, slow and cautious in his approach. A small flicker of satisfaction crossed his expression and Isabel gave him a disapproving glare, to which he quickly lowered his eyes and trilled apologetically. Even now as her mother was bathing in wary pheromones, the pup’s chubby but claw-tipped hands were waving around, reaching for the darker merman.

 

Farlan had come up behind Levi and the pup squealed in delight upon recognising her father. The raven moved out of the way and was careful not to intrude, knowing – despite his complete and utter dislike for children – that bonding was one of the most important parts of a mer’s puphood.

 

A few minutes passed as Farlan greeted his child, but then moved back a little as to not crowd Levi out. The raven blinked dolefully at the invitation, but his harsh expression softened a little at the quiet giggle that erupted from the tiny maroon mermaid.

 

‘ _Does she have a name yet?’_ A few mere clicks had both Isabel and Farlan tensing up somewhat, glancing at each other before the redhead spoke up with a soft but all-too-familiar set of sounds.

 

‘ _Kuchel,’_ a single name and every muscle in Levi’s body turned to stone.

 

 _‘You…’_ Levi ran his tongue over his sharp teeth and didn’t continue his sentence. _You named her after my mother._

 

Isabel beckoned him over, and another small squeal echoed from the miniscule creature. Levi swallowed down his fleeting contempt and moved closer, mercury eyes unreadable as he paused in front of them. Isabel’s gentle hands moved from holding Kuchel to keeping her afloat as she splashed, doing her best to swim towards the lethal-looking animal she would call family. Levi couldn’t help but to snort at her flailing attempts, and the moment Isabel stopped touching her, the pup started to sink. Levi quickly reached forwards, hands under Kuchel’s belly and bringing her back to the surface as her tiny maroon tail beat at the water.

 

Isabel’s eyes watered and Farlan couldn’t keep a smile off his face as he watched the unapproachable merman melt at the hands of his and his mate’s pup. Levi grimaced, but there was a certain softness to his eyes that hadn’t been there before as Kuchel tried to climb up his chest, soft little claws digging into the slippery skin in vain. They were yet to harden completely but by the _moon_ , it hurt. Tiny little pinpricks seemed to rival a lethal slash of a merman’s bite as Levi swallowed a yelp and lifted her off, cradling her in his arms instead.

 

The pup couldn’t have been older than a week, five days at most, so anything she said was intelligible and her attempts at swimming were laughably cute. Even Levi could admit that.

 

After thoroughly inspecting the new mer, Kuchel deemed herself bored and slithered out of Levi’s arms with a determined expression so akin to Isabel’s that the raven had to pause for a second before his hands went chasing after the sinking mermaid, who seemed too stunned at hitting the water to register that she was supposed to be swimming, spluttering a little as she resurfaced and was pushed gently towards Isabel again. Levi let himself sink down into the water a little, rubbing at a spot on his head where the rascal had tugged too hard on a lock of wet, inky-black hair.

 

A while passed before Levi could draw himself to leave again. Kuchel had long since grown bored of playing with his fins and had fallen asleep in Isabel’s arms, leaving the three grown mers in peace. Farlan was getting restless despite himself, edgy at the Levi’s scent even as familiar as it was. Levi took his cue to say goodbye, then, and left shortly after.

 

* * *

 

 

He wasn’t sure what had caught his attention first. The shadow of a boat sinking over him in the evening sun, his own stupidity at straying so close to the shallower water or the fact he was face to face with some strange creature that looked oddly human-shaped. Its skin was completely black and at the end of its legs were two flat flippers, like that of a seal’s, and a long tube came from its face to a bright yellow cylinder on its back. Levi hadn’t moved so fast all day.

 

He jerked to a halt and turned on his tail fast enough to give himself whiplash as he bolted away, swimming far enough away that he wouldn’t be hurt by the strange animal or any weapons it might have. When he turned to look at it, he stopped; it hadn’t moved, apart from letting itself sink to the ocean floor. Every now and then a plume of bubbles rose from it, and the two of them had a momentary staring contest before Levi’s curiosity got the better of him. He let himself drift closer.

 

It didn’t really move as he approached it, occasionally swaying in the tide and trying to stay upright. Levi was on edge, teeth bared occasionally and every muscle tense as he swam a little closer with a jerk of his tail. It stared right back at him – surely, it was human. Surely. But then what was the rubbery skin coating it? He glanced down to see that its hands were free, and that the cover was tight on its skin; that only served to confuse him more. Maybe it was for warmth?

 

He was far more wary of this human than he had been of the one he’d met two moons ago, unable to scent it under the water. The human made no move towards him, but he could see the excited rise and fall of its chest and its brown eyes wide. Judging from the curves of its body, Levi was willing to guess that it was a female.

 

He huffed harshly, a tiny cloud of bubbles bursting from his nose. The raven didn’t miss the way she startled, visibly flinching but making no other move to flee. The action caused him to grin, a garish baring of sharp teeth that caused her eyes to grow ever wider, flickering between the sharp canines to what he was guessing was his tail. Human were so stupidly curious, he thought as her fingers twitched. She still made no move to defend herself or attack him and soon they were close enough to touch, but Levi swam in circles around her, slow and curious. After what seemed like hours he settled down onto the sand, stirring some of it up as he flattened his body against it with a low growl that tailed off into a series of clicks.

 

Mercury eyes focused on one shaky hand as she reached forward, and Levi’s body tensed up as her fingertips brushed his knuckles. She looked ready to cry as he drew his hand back but instead of leaving, he pressed his palm against hers whilst keeping mindful of his claws.

 

They stayed like that for a while, Levi allowing her to explore him somewhat, but nipping a bit harshly at the tips of her fingers when they reached for his face. She got the message and moved back to trailing a finger over the scales on his shoulders.  After that, however, she drew her hands back and began to move. Levi jerked in surprise and lifted his large body off the sand, moving backwards and watching as she started to swim towards the surface. He found himself following her, swimming around her legs and sniffing at her neck, grimacing at the gross smell of the rubber over her skin before moving away again and letting her breach the surface of the water. Of course, he never made the connection that she must have come from the boat, following her mindlessly until she clambered awkwardly back onto the small fishing boat.

Levi swam to the surface, squinting at the glare of the sun reflecting off the ocean’s surface. With a tilt of his head he watched as she stripped down, the cylinder coming off her back and the black cover peeling away from her skin. His eyes popped wide and he drifted closer, latching onto the ladder on the edge of the boat as he watched. She almost fell over when she noticed him.

 

“Mike,” She breathed out reverently, and Levi’s ears cocked forward at the unfamiliar syllable. “Mike, come here.”

 

Levi let go of the boat with a startled hiss as another human emerged from the cabin of the boat. Monstrously tall and almost as blond as Erwin, this human was obviously male and had a curious amount of hair.

 

“Wait, Mike, hold up. You’re too intimidating, crouch down.” Levi’s ears pinned back against his head again as the man moved forward, only to slowly kneel on the floor of the boat. Confusion flickered across the raven’s face; was this female a ruler of some sort?

 

With the wetsuit still hanging off her waist the woman crouched as well, head ducked in submission. Levi let out a low croon, silver eyes narrowed and wary. These two seemed more aged than the human he’d stumbled across back at the cover; more intelligent, too.

 

A string of clicks sounded quietly and the man glanced up, and Levi grimaced when he saw his nostrils flaring.

 

“Damn it, Mike, stop that.” The female hissed out, and Levi was stunned to find that the syllables finally started to sound a little similar. He wriggled, trying to pull himself up further. She looked up in surprise, watching him with what seemed to be delight, and Levi slipped when she clicked her tongue at him. Communication?

 

A bubble of mixed sounds tried to force their way out all at once, stumbling and tripping over each other as Levi tried to piece together what was going on, ears pinned in distress. The woman clicked a few times in reply. _Hello._

Levi’s mouth fell open.

 

“Hanji, what’s going on?” The blond asked in a hushed tone. The woman shook her head as Levi fired sounds at her rapidly.

 

“I think it’s working. The – the communication, what I was working on, Mike, I think he _understood_ me!”

 

Levi whined in distress when the attention was moved away from him, and two heads whipped back to look at him. An annoyed growl sounded.

 

 _Do... know ... words?_ The woman struggled, her face twisting a little as she worked around what she’d discovered. Levi went quiet, then gave a short, slow nod. The woman gave a loud shriek and forgot about not moving quickly, tackling the man in an embrace that had Levi flinching and ducking to hide at the rim of the boat. The laughter was quickly cut off and Lev peered back over the edge, seeing the brunette jumping back to her feet with a scared look on her face. When she spotted him, she sagged with relief and sat back down, waiting for Levi to come back again.

 

Levi started to heave his torso out of the water, black claws scrabbling at the fibreglass of the boat and leaving light scratches on the surface. He frowned at the damage, loosening his grasp as he wriggled onto the flat board where the outboard motor would have usually sat. His tail swayed behind him lazily before he heaved himself to sit upright, twisting around to look at the two for help.

 

Hanji started forward when she was beckoned over, and Mike started moving slowly as well. Levi grabbed his own tail, scowling deeper when he attempted to move it into the boat only to find it was too heavy out of the water with a spitting hiss.

 

“I think he wants help, Mikey.” Hanji pointed out in awe, and Levi just rolled his eyes and nodded.

 

 _Bring tail._ Hanji managed to sputter out two familiar sounds and Levi raised his eye brows, lifting the fluke of his tail out of the water and sliding backwards a little. Hanji nodded quickly in reached for it, sliding her hands up until she had a good grip. Mike tucked his hands underneath the thicker bend, and Levi crooned in appreciation as they started to lift him, shifting accordingly until his tail was inside the boat but he still had a quick escape by sliding off the back if he need to. The brunette cheered, and the other one merely smiled.

 

Even if Levi couldn’t make sense of their language, he knew somehow that they were not going to hurt him; the woman was as curious as a Brightwater pup and just as loud. Stretching long tapes beside and around his tail, examining the webbing between his fingers – he protested when she tried to look at his teeth, however. She prodded at the junction of his hips and he yowled in discontent when she tried to poke lower, and that seemed to be enough warning seeing as she fell over and scrambled backwards with a flurry of apologetic words. Levi just glared at her grumpily for a while.

 

He rubbed absentmindedly at his throat and wasn’t as surprised as he should have been when he pulled his hand away and found a single navy scale glistening in his palm, much the same as one he’d given to Eren. Scales were sometimes given as courting gifts or as a marking of a promise – Levi slowly held his hand out towards Hanji rather shyly. The woman looked surprised, her fingers twitching as she took the small scale gingerly.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Levi slid himself carefully off the outboard, hitting the water with a forced huff of breath before letting himself. The water around him vibrated as the boat rumbled to life and He swam back to the surface, raising a clawed hand in the air as the boat began to move away.

 

He’d learned how to say a name. Just one, with Hanji’s help and patience, but the sound was burned into his mind. _Eren._ That woman, the – biologist, Levi thinks she said – was more than happy to give her assistance had been ridiculously excited to help. They were to meet back there tomorrow – and the next day, and the next day, and most days for the next few months.

 

Levi wanted to know how to speak.

 

* * *

 

Months passed,and Levi grew accustomed to Hanji’s company. His pod had long since moved on, with only Isabel and Farlan staying behind until their pup grew old enough; it was more than enough of a reason for Levi to stay.  He’d thought about introducing his family to the strange humans, but thought better of it given the large scar running the length of Farlan’s tail.

 

The grey and black figure swam circles as he waited, batting at a school of fish as they swam past and finally hearing the tell-tale growl of a boat engine. He looked up to see the familiar hull cutting through the water and quickly moved out of the way, waiting for it to slow before he cautiously swam to the surface. There had been a few instances where he’d almost greeted the wrong boat and had received an empty jerry-can to the face before the fishing boat had screeched to life and left in a hurry. He’d had a scab on his lip for a week where he’d bitten himself, and Hanji was distraught.

 

Thankfully, this time was the familiar _Freedom Maria_ sign that greeted his eyes in the morning sun. Hanji stepped onto the deck and Levi burst forwards, leaping straight out of the water and onto the boat. A shriek ended in a giggle and then Hanji’s hand was carding through the wet ink-back hair, greeted with a purr and a burbled version of the woman’s name. The brunette had been so pleased when Levi became affectionate, even through his dead-pan expressions and growling.

 

“Mike, look who got here early.” She called out, and Levi warbled a greeting when the hulking man stepped out.

 

 “Heya, Levi.” He yawned and Levi watched him curiously, trying to imitate him by stretching his jaw wide and unhinging his jaw. Hanji stared at him in shock and his eyes flickered, brows furrowing as he closed his mouth again out of embarrassment.

 

 

“No, no, wait, do that again!” Hanji blurted out, rocking on the balls of her feet. Levi glanced at her curiously and repeated the movement, the familiar click of his jaw coming out of place popping in his ear. Hanji moved forward and poked at the loose joint curiously, ignoring the quiet growl she received and continuing to explore.

 

“Wow,” the woman whistled in appreciation, “Mike, do you reckon this helps him with hunting?”

 

“Maybe fighting?” The blond suggested, shrugging one shoulder as he sat down and threw his legs up on a chair. “Mermen are territorial, remember, so maybe it’s to help inflict more damage than that of a normal bite.”

 

“Ahh, good point. Levi?” The raven glanced at her and nodded, closing his jaw once more and nodded, hissing and spitting before letting out a string of clicks and swiping his claws through the air. “Heh, I think you’re right, Mikey.”

 

Levi nodded again and smiled, all teeth and gums and awkwardness.

* * *

 

A while after that and Levi’s stomach was protesting, so all three of them decided to call it a day. The raven was tired anyway, having just recited something called ‘ the alphabet’  four times over - the tune Hanji had put to it would be stuck in his head for weeks and the thought made his scowl.  The good news was that he was getting better and better every day - it was hard work and Mike constantly compared him to a human child  - but he was progressing a lot faster than he’d expected. His mother language gave him an unusual accent, and some sounds became slurred or run together strangely, but he was coherent to the average human. Hanji couldn’t look more proud if she tried.

 

“Hanjiii.” Levi called from the water that he’d slipped back into, sucking his bottom lip between his teeth in a nervous habit he’d picked up from the brunette. She popped her head over the edge of the boat and raised an eyebrow in answer.

 

“Next moon cycle - month?” He looked up at her and she nodded encouragingly, “ I won’t be able to see you.”

 

Her face fell in an instant and she leaned closer, looking worried. “Why? What’s wrong? What’s happening?”

 

“It is season soon. I won’t be able to travel. Will be… busy.” A confused expression flickered across the biologist’s face.

 

“What? What season? Wh- wait. Mating season?”

 

“Mating season.. Yes. I think so. We called it, ahh…” He struggled to translate for a moment, “ Reproadia?”

 

“Reproadia. Alright. So you’ll be… ‘busy’ for a month or so?”

 

“No more than a month. It doesn’t last long, but I will be very confused in here.” He tapped his forehead and smiled. “Will not be gone long, Hanji. Promise.”

 

“Alright, Levi. We’ve got a week left, so keep working on your language skills, okay? I’ll forgive you if you forget some during the season.” Hanji smiled warmly, reaching down to ruffle his hair lightly. “No go on, go catch your lunch. We’ll see you tomorrow.”

 

Levi bared his teeth and pushed up into her hand in reply before sinking below the surface of the water and darting off.

* * *

 

 

A startled hiss left Levi and his body spun against the sand, stirring up at the grit in an attempt to confuse his attacker. Black claws swiped at his stomach and his own talons sank onto the soft skin of the alphan Brightwater’s upper arm, tearing through the flesh with a cloud of dark blood. The unmated mer howled and Levi barrelled into him, putting him further out of balance and driving him away piece by piece, protecting his territory. It wasn’t common, an unmated alphan merman staying in place instead of searching for a mate; with one more spitting howl the foreigner fled.

 

Levi waited for the sand to settle back down and lowered himself onto the ocean floor, running his tongue over the two gashes running across his lower arm -  the only mark the attacking alpha had left on him. Omegan mers often fled to Levi’s territory for safety against too many alphas - Levi had to be careful and train any courting colours into offensive colours, flaring every danger sign he had at any merman that tried to follow omegas into his territory. Both he and Erwin were well-known as safe-havens, never attempting to court the fleeing mermaids.

 

Almost over, Levi reminded himself as salty water stung at his injury. The season is almost over, and I can return to Eren.

* * *

 

 

The sky was gradually getting darker and Levi could smell fresh rain every time his head broke the surface. He’d been travelling to the cove all day, and as soon as he sensed the oncoming storm he had doubled his speed. He was going to regret it, of course, but if he knew anything then he knew that Eren would be trying to swim when the storm hit. The courting gift he’d given Eren was laced with what he called Amouela, which Hanji thought translated to ‘spells’ or ‘magic’. The scales scattered over his collarbones had become unbearbly itchy and as soon as he started his journey, it had lessened.

 

Rain was pelting the water and the currents were building far too fast when the cove finally came into sight, and Levi swam toward an outcropping of rocks to better see the beach. He noticed the bright flash of yellow hair almost to the beach and his breath became shorter, gills flaring and crimson blood beginning to thrum through the veins of his spines and the membrane spanning between them. A warning signal - but an unseen one. A streak of white caught his eye and he noticed the board come to the surface, with Eren following slowly behind, until he fell out of sight again underneath another wave.

 

Levi didn’t think twice before he left back into the water, teeth bared and eyes sitted against the rush of ocean water as he made his way towards where he’d left Eren. The silt and sand had been stirred up, lowering his vision capability, but he body-slammed into the weak human anyway and kept moving towards the shore. Wait -humans don’t have gills, do they? They have - lungs, like dolphins, they can’t breathe underwater - Levi filtered oxygen through his gills to his own lungs and sealed his mouth over Eren’s in a last-ditch attempt.

 

Levi grimaced at the feeling of the wet sand on his scales as he dragged Eren up onto land, huffing with exertion as he cradled the brunet against him. He paid no heed to the blond scrambling away from them, the scent of fear thick in the air even as Levi tried to help the weakened human.

 

He laid Eren down, eyes widening when he saw the stillness of his bare chest. Hanji, what did Hanji say about drowning - lungs! He would have swallowed water, there was water in his lungs - Levi slammed his hand against Eren’s sternum and the brunet choked to life.

 

The mer cradled Eren close as the human coughed wetly, water and saliva running down his chin pathetically as he heaved for breath, the gasping sounds sounding painful and desperate. The raven started to croon, an automatic calming reaction as he cooed louder, rumbling through his chest and into Eren’s ear.

  
Eren couldn’t seem to believe that Levi had come back at all, sputtering and stammering with eyes shining wide like pearls. The raven tried not to laugh at his awe and only pulled him closer.

 

 

* * *

 

 

Levi was quiet in his approach, seeing the rippling shadow of Eren’s curled up form on the rock ledge in front of him. Warmth spread through his chest at the sight and he reached up to cling to the jagged stone, lifting the fluke of his heavy tail out of the water and flicking salty sea-spray over the brunet. The resulting startled sound brought up a rare snicker of amusement as the creature slid back into the water.

“You came back!”

 

“Well, you requested I do so yesterday,” Levi pointed out thickly, the words sounding heavy through his strange accent. Eren didn’t seem to mind, however, responding with a pleased grin and uncertain eyes.

 

“I… wasn’t sure if you actually would. You’re pretty unpredictable, y’know.”

 

“I can stay for now, I assure you, but I must leave by the time the sun sets. “The raven admitted, shifting his oversized body and digging two fingers lazily into the sand.

 

Eren only seemed put out for a moment or two before he blurted, “well, we’d better make the most of it, shouldn’t we?” before plunging into the cool water, resurfacing and shaking his head free of water.

 

Somehow, despite their cultural differences, the two managed to fill their day with pure banter, throwing words back and forth until their cheeks hurt with the smiling. The sun had risen, made its bright way across the clear sky, and was sliding down the other side at an achingly slow pace, despite the day feeling like it was melting away like ice cream in the sun. they gravitated around each other and Levi found himself curling up to the young human as the day dragged on and the cheery mood dropped into something more sombre. The sweet scent he’d grown accustomed to enveloped him and he inhaled sharply, his slick skin sliding against Eren’s as he moved slowly. Eventually he found himself practically seated on the brunet, his forehead resting on Eren’s shoulder and breath fanning across a tanned collarbone. He could sense a hint of confusion and even a little anxiety but he crooned lightly, the sound barely audible low in his throat as he closed his eyes. Eren didn’t say another word after that, letting Levi move unhindered.

 

The mer trailed his nose to where the scent was strongest and then some, eyelashes flicking gently across soft kin as he mapped out every inch of Eren’s face, committed it to memory, committed _him_ to memory. Levi never wanted to forget this boy. He hoped Eren would do the same.

 

“Remember me,” he muttered out, the two words soft and discernible. He felt Eren’s muscles tense under his ministrations, under his nose, his lips, under his fingertips where they trailed against Eren’s stomach. . “Please.” Eren’s breath shuddered and Levi opened his eyes halfway, drawing back to look t hum properly. His chest ached and he didn’t understand why, but he did know that Eren was the cause, seeing the boy in such a vulnerable state paining him physically. When the first glimmer of tears began to cling to Eren’s eyelashes, a soft coo started to rumble from Levi’s throat, reaching out to comfort him in the only way he knew how.

 

“Don’t go.”

 

Levi all but felt his heart break. He couldn’t remember how to speak, a gentle but anxious chitter leaving his parted lips as Eren struggled not to cry.  His own eyes started to shimmer and sting; being a creature who lived solely underwater, he couldn’t cry, but his breath hitched nonetheless.   It took a few moments so he could gather himself, to say three more words that might just shatter the boy’s heart.

 

“I have to.”

 

When Levi tried to move away, blunt fingernails and lithe hands grabbed for the slippery scales on his waist. After a few moments Eren let up and let Levi slide off his lap, but Levi stayed pressed close. “I know. I know you do.”

 

Levi chewed his lip, wishing he could explain. He had already revealed so much to this boy, and maybe one day he’d bring himself to speak his own language and make Eren understand that it wasn’t his choice. The mer’s claw-tipped hands raised gently to cup Eren’s cheeks, thumbs gliding over Eren’s cheekbones.

  
“I will return to you.” He whispered, his voice raw with emotion. “I vow to you that I will return. Would you wait for me?”

 

The russet-haired human started to nod, taking a deep, shaky breath. Twin tears spilled down his face and Levi belatedly noticed the spray of freckles over his nose and cheeks.

 

“I’ll wait for you.” Eren swore. “I’ll wait, I promise.” The words were breathless, eyes welling up for a second time as liquid clung to his eyelashes. Levi leaned forward and ignored the tense boys startled hitch of breath as he kissed the tears away, pale lips curving into a small little smile.

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

Levi turned tail as soon as the sun set, back the way he came, mercury silver eyes bright in the darkened water. He knew his pod was miles away but still he whined and howled his anguish into the distance he was putting between him and his Eren, eyes shimmering with tears he couldn’t shed and scales alight with blood red sadness. Oxygen rushed through him and he ignored the tiny spot of blood that was slowly being drawn away from the tiny patch where he’d pulled a scale from his tail, a tiny pinprick compared to the tight feeling in his chest, suffocating him, forcing him so speed up. He destroyed water came through his path, and by the time his pod came back into few, his hands were slowly leaking blood and his breath was coming in hard gasps. Erwin and Isabel were curled around him instantly, cool bodies pressing close against him and crooning lowly to ease him.

 

They could do nothing to calm his shuddering cries, nothing but cradle and soothe and console the anguished mer. Levi was rocked, cradled, brought endless amounts of fish that the others took turns to catch – but there was no luck. Hours after the pod was moving again, Levi was silent enough for the worried looks to stop being cast over countless mermaids’ shoulders.

 

Next year. Twelve moon cycles.

 

Levi could be patient.

 

Levi would wait for his Eren.

 


End file.
